Folding-machine.



F. G. CURTIS.

FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. so, 1908.

1,129,556. Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEBT 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS C0., PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. L7v C.

I. C. CURTIS.

FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. so, 1908.

' Ere/afar.

1 9m H %m mm 2 w S m 1 Z 2 P. 1 W H 5L EMM- J5. 0v

THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTOLITHQ. WASHINGIUN. D c

FRANK o. scams, or TROY, NEW YORK;

Fortune-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 1 1270.23, 1915.

Application filed December so, 1908. Serial 1\Io. 469,982.

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, FRANK C. GURTis, a citizen of the United States, residing at Troy, county of Rensselaer, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to such improvements and consists of the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and subsequently claimed.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, and the reference characters marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. Similar characters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a top plan view of my improved folding machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the same taken on the broken line 22 in Fig. 1.

This invention relates to folding machines such as are used for infolding the edges of cloth blanks for use in the manufacture of shirts, collars and cuffs; and I have shown the invention applied to a type of such machines shown and described in U. S. Letters Patent N 0. 666,766, dated January 29, 1901, to which patent reference may be had for a more complete understanding of the pres ent invention.

The principal object of the invention is to provide for a more rapid operation of machines for folding this class of work.

set forth in said patent.

Other objects will appear in connection with the following description.

In carrying out my invention, I induce the successive operation in the proper order of the several machine elements which directly accomplish the folding and pressing of the blank and the raising of the folded blank from the bed, by movement of a single primary operating element, which for certain purposes of the invention may be a foot-lever.

Referring to the drawings wherein I have shown a machineembodying one form of my invention, 1 represents the bed mounted upon the uprights, 2, and supporting the infolders, 3, which are adapted to be carried inwardly and outwardly upon the bed by the crank-pins, 4:, movement of which crankpins is accomplished by a rocking movement of the two shafts 5, beneath the bed, as A movable section 6, of the bed is adapted to be forced upward toward the overlying infolders by a downward pull upon the rod, 7 whereby the inner ends of levers, 8, connected with said rod are-depressed, causing their outer ends to be forced upward against the movable bedsection; to raise the same. A downward pull can be exerted upon the rod, 7, by depressing the lever, 9, fulcrumed at 10 upon the frame of the machine. The rock-shafts, 5, are connected to be rocked in unison by means of the link, 11, and cranks, 12, fixed upon the respective shafts. The infolders are held to resist the upward movement of the movable bed-section by engagement with adjustable set-screws, 13, in the respective arms, 14, fixed to the bed, 1, and overhanging the respective infolders, as set forth in said patent, except the set-screws.

The die or templet, 15, is carried by arms, 16, fixed upon the rock-shaft, 17. Any known form of die can be employed but for certain purposes of the invention, I prefer to make the die of a single piece of sheet steel or to adapt the die in some other known manner to raise the folded blank from the bed, thereby leaving the bed free to receive an unfolded blank before the last previously folded blank has been removed from the machine.

Such as desired of the elements which participate in the infolding of the blank by contact therewith 'may be heated in any known manner. I have shown means for directly heating the infolders which in most cases will be found sufficient.

The bed is cut away or apertured beneath the several infolders to permit the flames from the gas-burners 19 to impinge directly upon the under surface of the infolders. The gas-burners may be supported beneath the bed in any known manner; and they are preferably adapted to burn a mixture of gas and air which may be supplied to them in any known manner.

Projecting downward from the bed at the rear of the machine, is a hanger, 20, containing bearings for the rock-shaft, 21, upon which is fixed a wheel, 22, around which passes a band, 23 which also passes around a wheel, 24, loosely mounted upon the front rock-shaft, 5, to rotate freely thereon. Fixed to the wheel, 24, is a smaller wheel, 25, around which passes a band, 26, connected with a treadle, 27, fulcrumed, at 28, upon the frame of the machine. adapted to be depressed by the foot, 38, of the operator and to thereby cause a move- The treadle is ment of partial rotation of the several wheels, 25, 24 and 22, and of the shaft, 21. When the treadle is released a reverse movement is imparted to said wheels and shaft by means of a spring, 29, connected at one end to the frame of the machine and at the other end to a band, 30, passing around the wheel, 22, in a direction opposite to that of the band, 23.

Fixed upon the rock-shaft, 21, are two crankarms, 31, and The arm, 31, has a crank-pin adapted to engage a slotted arm, 33, fixed on the shaft, 17, whereby the die is adapted to be raised from and lowered upon the bed. The wall of the slot in the arm, 33, which receives the thrust of the crank-pin on the arm, 31, to force the die down upon the bed is preferably formed wholly or in part by a yielding member, as the springplate, 34c, which is continued somewhat past the point reached by said crank-pin when the die engages the bed, or the blank thereon. The arm 32 has a crank-pin adapted to engage a slotted arm, 35, fixed on the shaft, 5, at the rear of the machine, whereby the movements of the infolders are accomplished. The arm 35 is preferably made substantially the same as the arm, 33, with a yielding spring-plate extending past the point reached by the crankpin on the arm 32 when the infolders have reached their innermost position.

The treadle, 27, is adapted to engage, through the medium of a screw, 36, the le lver, 9, to cause an upward movement of the movable section of the bed after the infolders have been moved inward.

The parts are so arranged and adjusted that the initial downward movement of the treadle 27, causes the die to be forced down upon the blank on the bed, a somewhat fur ther movement of the treadle causes the infolders to be moved inwardly over the edges of the die while the die is held down upon the bed by the spring-plate, 34-, and the final movement of the treadle causes the bed-section to be forced upward thereby pressing between the bed and infolders the infolded edges of the blank upon the die. When the treadle is released the several parts are restored to their original positions, their order of movement being the reverse of that just stated. The hands of the operator are thus left free at all times to merely insert the blanks into the machine, and remove the folded blanks from the raised die.

For certain purposes of the invention, the mechanism whereby the infolders are moved or operated by the same treadle which operates the die and bed may be dispensed with and the infolders operated by hand or in any known manner.

For certain purposes of the invention there may be substituted for the treadle in a machine of the class described having a die capable of raising a folded blank from the bed and gas-heated infolders for the ends of the blank, any known form of primary operating element with connections whereby successively the die is moved toward the bed, the infolders are moved inwardly and a pressing movement is induced between the bed and infolders by movement of said primary operating element.

I have ascertained that it is highly desirable in machines of this class to directly heat the infolders, in which case it becomes practically immaterial whether the bed is heated or not, and that it is also desirable in securing the greatest eliiciency in the operation of such machines that the pressure exerted upon the blank between the infolders and the bed should be under the control of the operator. By directly heating the folders to a high temperature, thetime required for the inturning and pressing of the blank edges can be greatly reduced, while at the same time a less degree of pressure is required.

A skilled operator soon learns to regulate the speed of his machine and the degree of pressure in accordance with the temperature of the folders to secure the maximum output consistent with the quality or work required.

A much higher temperature can be employed for the folders than for the bed of a machine of this class, because the heated folder is in contact with the blank during only the time required for the movement of the infolders, and the pressing; while it is in contact with'the bed whatever additional time is required for operating the die.

By the use of gas-burners to which the folders are directly exposed, I have been able to secure with a non-collapsing die most favorable results as to both quality and quantity of the product.

l/Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 'is 1. In a machine of the class described and in combination, a bed; a die movable toward and from the bed and adapted to raise from i the bed a folded blank; infolders movable inwardly and outwardly; gas-mechanism for directly heating the infolders for the ends of the blank; a treadle; connections whereby the die is moved toward the bed by the initial movement of said treadle; and connections whereby a pressing movement is induced between the bed and infolders by a further movement of said treadle.

2. Ina machine of the class described and in combination, a bed; a die movable toward and from the bed and adapted to raise from the bed a folded blank; infolders movable inwardly and outwardly; gas-mechanism for directly heating the infolders for the ends of the blank; a treadle; connections whereby the die is moved toward the bed by the initial movement of said treadle; conill-0 nections whereby said infolders are moved inward by a further movement of said treadle; and connections whereby a pressing movement is induced between the bed and folders by the final movement of said treadle.

8. In a machine of the class described and in combination, a 'bed; a die movable toward and from the bed and adapted to raise from the bed a folded blank; infolders movable inwardly and outwardly; gas-mechanism for directly heating the infolders; a primary operating element; and connections whereby successively the die is moved toward the bed, the infolders are moved inwardly, and a pressing movement is induced between the bed and infolders by movement of said primary operating element.

l. In a machine of the class described and in combination, abed; a die movable toward and from the bed and adapted to raise from the bed a folded blank; infolders movable inwardly and outwardly; gas-burners for directly heating said infolders and to which said infolders are directly exposed; a primary operating element; and connections whereby successively the die is moved toward the bed, the infolders are moved inwardly, and a pressing movement is induced between the infolders and bed by movement of said primary operating element.

5. In a machine of the class described and in combination, a bed; a die pivotally supported, movable toward and. from the bed and having means for raising a folded blank from the bed; movable infolders for the ends of the blanks; gasmechanism for directly heating said infolders; a primarv operating element; and connections whereby successively the die is moved toward the bed, the infolders are moved inward and a pressing movement is induced between the infolders and the bed by movement of said primary operating element.

6. In a machine of the class described and in combination, a bed; a die pivotally supported and movable toward and from the bed; movable infolders; a primary operating element; and connections whereby successively the die is moved toward the bed, the infolders are moved inward, and a pressing movement is induced between the infolders and the bed by movement of said primary operating element, said connections for operating the die comprising in part a pivoted member and a yielding member with which said pivoted member is adapted to make curved sliding contact, whereby the die is forced toward the bed.

7 In a folding machine, the combination with a bed; a templet; and infolders, said bed being provided with openings beneath the infolders; of gas-burners located in said openings Within the bed in position for the flames therefrom to impinge upon said infolders.

8. In a folding machine, the combination with a bed; a templet; and infolders, said bed being provided with openings beneath the infolders; of a gas-pipe located beneath the bed; and burners projecting from said pipe into said openings.

9. In a folding machine, the combination with a bed; a templet; and infolders, said bed being provided with openings beneath the infolders; of gas-burners located within said openings in position for the flames therefrom to impinge upon said infolders; a primary operating element; and connections whereby successively the templet is moved toward the bed, and a pressing movement is induced between the bed and infolders by movement of said primary operating element.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of December 1908.

FRANK G. CURTIS.

IVitnesses:

JOSEPHINE M. CURTIs, GRACE V. MANNING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

